Sharing - NOT an option

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 4, 2015100 views7 comments

One from a series of images taken with these two males (The Machaton boys) feeding on a buffalo carcass taken down the previous night. Very privileged to have the sighting to ourselves purely down to the accessibility of the location. Light was still of a premium due to the location as this was in the lee of a hill.

I'm OK about the intersecting eye & bone of the BKG Lion, as for me it about the focus and intense stare of the FG lion, four other males had moved into the dry river bed which caught his attention.

Thanks to those who posted a comment on the previous image.

Subject: Two male Lions (Panthera leo) on Buffalo kill
Location: SA
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens:200-400f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/500s at f/5.6 ISO3200
Format: Landscape, very slight crop
Original format: Landscape, very slight crop.

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on February 4, 2015 at 9:47 AM

Powerful image. I would not mess with these guys. The OOF vegetation at the bottom is a minor distraction, but unavoidable, I'm sure. Must have been thrilling to witness this.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on February 4, 2015 at 10:22 AM

Cheers Jerry, yes it was.

The interaction between the two was excellent, even as brothers they would have to make a point to one another, and as they ate, the carcass became lighter and so they kept on moving it, very frustrating at times. Also, they were not relaxed and so we really did keep any movement of the vehicle to a minimum not wishing to impact on their mood.

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Ashleigh Scully on February 4, 2015 at 5:29 PM

The eye on the lion in front in the bigger image is really sharp and clear. The foreground blur is too bad but the subjects keep my eye away from that. Great capture!

Registered on November 4, 2013, 36 Posts, 210 Comments

Comment posted by William Bickle on February 6, 2015 at 9:41 AM

Hello Stephen

Great to witness, I am sure. To see and hear the goings on being so close !

Intense even as brothers sharing !

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on February 6, 2015 at 10:00 AM

Hi Steve,

I've looked at this shot a number of times in an effort to figure out why I only LIKE it (as opposed to REALLY liking it). The detail on the main subject - and its dinner - is great. And, I really like the very natural appearing colour. The contrast-reducing blur along the bottom edge is noticeable, but I don't think it's really much of a negative. I don't mind the piece of bone touching the eye of the lion in the background, but I think the very presence of that second line distracts my eye just enough that my eye doesn't rest on the positives of the image as much as it should? Still pondering this...hope it makes some sense to you...

But when you look at the subject matter depicted here and allow some perspective to creep in...it is a pretty amazing scene that's been captured extremely well - and finding flaws in an image like this is a reflection of just how darned high the bar is getting in wildlife photography!

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on February 6, 2015 at 11:31 AM

Hi Brad, thanks for your input, very much appreciated.

Avoiding vegetation is always hard and in all honesty, because I have 'lived' with the image, I've just accepted it, but perhaps a 'harder' edge to the foot of the image may have been better/cleaner, if that is what you mean? Fighting light, probably +1EV so SS drops, crank up ISO, vicious circle LOL, (D4 & D4s sweet on hi ISO, the Canon is crap in the Blacks for noise) so I felt I really could not increase the DoF, so you get that 'juxtapose' scenario if that makes sense? I'll post something similar next week, I already know the answer, I think, but lets see.

Probably in an ideal world, having the BKG Lion in focus (or not at all) would have been better.

Thanks
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on February 6, 2015 at 11:38 AM

Hi Ashleigh, in my reply to Brad (not ideal) I may have tried to explain things which may also address your thoughts too?

Cheers William, one of the few times I did get a tad nervous in traversing the site, it was incredibly steep and with a gully off to our left we could have easily slid into it, rolling the jeep and becoming the dessert after the Buffalo, but all was good. However, as I said, the site was then closed by our guide, the head guide, but within minutes the entry in was all forgotten about and business as usual, getting the shots, LOL.

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments